Turning haters into believers one lyric at a time
Given the huge success from not only his debut album of The College Dropout but also his numerous guest appearances and production credits, to say that expectations for Kanye's latest album are high would be an understatement. Many expected Kanye to be another flash-in-the-pan artist, who would never be able to replicate the magic that came from the first album, while others, myself included, were simply afraid that West's magic would falter to the almost inevitable Sophomore Slump. Thankfully, Late Registration isn't only magical, it's easily one of the most significant albums to come out as of late. While not nearly as playful, Late Registration finds Kanye at his most focused, providing incredibly potent and insightful lyrics, while proving all of his doubters wrong along the way. With subjects ranging from politics ("Crack Music," "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"), additional tales from Kanye's life ("Heard 'Em Say" and the exceptionally personal "Roses" and "Addiction"), to even a well-done and heartwarming song dedicated to his own mother in "Hey Mama." Of course, it just wouldn't be a Kanye album without any fun injected into the album at all, and that is provided by amusing "Broke Phi Broke" skits, and also within Kanye's lyrical musings on such songs as "Gold Digger," which masterfully samples from Ray Charles' "I've Got a Woman" and also the track "Celebration." Also carrying over from the last album are the outstanding performances by the guest artists. Ranging from Maroon 5's Adam Levine ("Heard 'Em Say") to Cam'ron ("Gone") to the return of artists such as Jaimie Foxx ("Gold Digger"), Jay-Z ("Diamonds of Sierra Leone remix"), and a surprisingly short take with Common on "My Way Home." The album's production also benefits from the co-production of Jon Brion, who is a masterful musician/producer. For those that aren't familiar with him, he's produced for Fiona Apple and also did the Eternal Sunshine... and I Heart Huckabees soundtracks. With the assistance of Brion, there's additional depth from the many string and orchestral arrangements that are found (which probably works best on the track "Gone"), which not only compliment Kanye's flow, but also give him additional flexibility as a musician. While it's still too early to tell, I'm relatively convinced that when they end of the year comes Late Registration will be recognized as being the best album to come out of the year 2005.
★★★★★
